The invention relates to a device for guiding at least one hose.
Such hose guiding devices are provided in the case of machines, installations and in particular robots for the purpose of guiding a protective hose carrying supply lines, such as energy and control cables, fluids such as cooling liquids or gaseous fluids for producing an overpressure and an underpressure. This constitutes the preferred field of application of the invention.
In the case of a robot, such hoses are e.g. carried along parts of the robot, such as along the robot arm, and along the rocker arm. As a result of movements of the robot, particularly also the robot hand, which generally carries a tool supplied by the supply line, the supply lines and protective hose must be able to perform length compensating movements. Normally the protective hose is surrounded by a helicoidal tension spring, which is on the one hand located on an abutment on the protective hose and on the other on a robot fixed part. Guidance takes place either by means of a separate slide or several bearing points constructed in socket-like manner and in which or along which the protective hose can slide.
A disadvantage of such guidance devices is the fact that the slide guides are complicated and the multiple bearings are imprecise, i.e. they enable the guide hose and therefore the supply lines to effect relatively large deflection movements and consequently there is a damage risk for both the hose and the supply line. In addition, both constructions are expensive and bulky.
Therefore the problem of the invention is to provide a device for guiding and longitudinally compensating a hose in a compact, simple form, which permits a precise guidance and return of the hose to a small space.
According to the invention the set problem is solved by a device for guiding a hose in that it is provided with a channel having a lateral longitudinal opening.
According to a preferred development, the longitudinal opening width is smaller than the transverse dimension of the hose guided in the channel or the width of the lateral opening of the channel is smaller than the dimension of a tension spring surrounding the hose, but the opening width is such that it exceeds the transverse dimension of the supply lines guided by the protective hose and preferably to a significant extent, so as to prevent a bending round of the supply lines. Fundamentally the channel can have a random cross-section and can e.g. also be oval-shaped, if several hoses are to be guided in parallel. However, preferably, the channel has a circular cross-section.
In order to avoid the risk of damage to the supply lines led laterally out of the lateral longitudinal opening and/or a protective hose surrounding the same in this area and which is consequently led laterally out of the channel (provided that it is surrounded by a spring, so that it is not forced out of the channel in the spring-surrounding area), the invention also provides for the channel having, in the vicinity of its longitudinal opening, laterally extending, longitudinal shoulders, which in particular in the vicinity of their free longitudinal edges have a larger relative spacing than in the transition area thereof to the channel.
If the protective hose is provided with a spring for exerting a bias counter to the movement of the part to which the supply line leads, according to a preferred development an abutment for a spring surrounding the hose is connected to the channel and in particular the abutment is constructed as a circumferential groove in which engages one end of the spring. The spring is provided with a further abutment at a tool-remote area of the protective hose, e.g. in that a wearing ring is fitted there.
On the channel side facing the tool is preferably provided a trumpet-shaped holder or passage for the hose, which in an extremely preferred development is constructed as a swing-up clamping collar, so that when the latter is swung up the hose can be inserted laterally therein and is completely surrounded by the same after closure.